Historical Badass
by grimmia
Summary: On temporary hiatus. I'll return to this one hopefully.
1. Carlos?

Delta squad stood outside the control center. They were waiting for Anya to join them; not that Marcus Fenix would admit that though. Bernie Mataki shifted her lancer, and Damon Baird glanced impatiently at his wrist. Augustus Cole chuckled heartily.

"Damon Baby, there's no watch on your wrist!" he exclaimed.

"That's how fucking boring this is! What are we waiting for!" Baird snapped.

"Hoffman and Anya," Marcus said flatly.

"Maybe we should go inside to meet up with them," Dominic Santiago suggested.

"Hoffman'll be discussing shit with Prescott," Bernie said.

"There's no discussing. Prescott wants to put Gears where we aren't needed to 'keep the peace'," Baird snorted.

Before anyone could interject, or argue, two COG soldiers marched past. Between them was a young woman; each Gear had a good grip on an arm. Cole and Bernie shook their heads sadly; Baird tried not to smile at the poor Stranded fucker. Dom's eyes grew wide; Marcus thought he'd seen her somewhere before. The gap between Delta and the trio grew. Dom broke into a swift sprint to catch up to them.

"Maria!" he shouted.

Bernie, Cole and Baird were speechless. The woman looked around, and the Gears stopped. Marcus sighed and followed after Dom. He had the woman's face in both his hands; she looked so much like the Maria he remembered.

"Carlos?" she asked.

"Holy shit," Dom gasped.

"Damn you got big."

"What the fuck is going on here?" Marcus demanded.

"Sergeant Fenix, sir. We caught this Stranded bitch about five klicks east. She's been fucking around in our computers somehow," the Gear on the left reported.

"She was hiding out in the attic of an abandoned house. We found a bunch of contraband items up there with her. We'll send in another team later to check it out," his partner said.

"Am I under arrest?" the woman asked, looking amused.

By that point, Cole, Baird and Bernie joined them. The other two Gears weren't amused by their mouthy prisoner. Marcus stepped away from them; he had a hand pressed to his ear. Dom glanced over at him and watched for a moment. Marcus was talking too quietly for anyone to hear him. Dom assumed he was contacting Anya.

"Shut up, Stranded."

The woman was forcing herself not to smile, but one made it through. One of the Gears dropped her arm, and a loud crack resonated around them. He holstered his pistol; under his helmet he had a very smug look on his face. Blood trickled down her lip. Cole grabbed Bernie's arm. Marcus turned to look at them. By the time he registered what had happened, Baird was on top of the Gear. The man's helmet was ripped off and discarded. Baird got in a few good punches before Dom and Marcus ripped him off.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Hoffman bellowed.

"Sir!" the two Gears exclaimed.

Hoffman glared at them and their prisoner. At first, he didn't want to believe she was really there. The Gear that struck her started arguing with Baird, but they were both drowned out by Hoffman's demand for silence.

"Let her go," he finished.

"What?"

"Are you fucking kidding us?... Sir?"

"You heard me," he said flatly. Hoffman's eyes never left the woman. "And we'll deal with this fight later."

The two Gears shoved past Dom to get inside. The one that hit her looked back and scowled. The woman rubbed her arms where they were holding her.

"If I'm getting in trouble for saving her ass, I'll smack her myself," Baird mumbled.

"I'd like to see you try, Pretty Boy," she laughed.

"Don't push me," Baird warned. He raised a fist to her face.

"Baird, leave her alone," Marcus demanded, "You alright, Lizzy?"

"Better now. Thanks, Hun," Lizzy replied.

"Uh... No problem?" Marcus looked confused.

"Not you, Marcus," she patted Marcus' face. "Pretty Boy."

"Baird," Baird interjected.

"Whatever."

"Excuse me if I'm not getting something, but who the fuck is she? Marcus? Colonel?" Dom sighed, frustrated.

"Let's go to my office," Hoffman decided.

* * *

><p>That's my first installment! I have a bit more written, so I'll expand on that and post it soon.<p> 


	2. Scotch

Bernie, Baird and Cole weren't included in Hoffman's invitation to his office. Lizzy sat in Hoffman's chair, her feet on his desk, fixing her hair. Marcus stood beside her, protectively. Dom sat across from her; he studied her face, trying to place it. Hoffman paced impatiently in front of the door. Lizzy adjusted her bracelet, and she moved her feet off her desk.

"Who are you?" Dom asked again.

"Lizzy," she replied.

"Last name?"

"It changes," Hoffman sighed. "For a while it was 'Stroud' then 'Hoffman'."

"Used to be 'Fenix' for a while too," Marcus added.

"We went to school together, Dom. Sort of. I was in Carlos' year," Lizzy said.

"... It'd upset you to hear he died, huh?" Dom muttered.

"It nearly killed me when I first heard it," Lizzy glared at Marcus.

"You... You're an orphan?" Dom asked, the bits of information churned over in his brain.

"Who isn't these days? But yes. I've never... Really known who my parents were. I've heard people say my dad died serving with Hoffman, and my mother died during childbirth."

"That's not true... Maybe you two should leave," Hoffman ordered.

"I'm not going anywhere," Marcus stood steadily beside Lizzy.

"I guess this isn't my place," Dom rose, "I'll be right outside if you need me."

The door clicked softly behind him. Hoffman sat down; he rested his elbows on his desk. Lizzy scooted forward.

"Did I mention I saw Margaret before the Hammer struck?" she whispered.

"Hmm?" Hoffman looked at her.

"Yeah. She stopped by my apartment. She gave me these," Lizzy dropped a pair of COG tags on the desk, "and told me to ask you about them if I ever saw you again. She had a few other things I was to tell you, but they weren't very nice."

"Margaret..." Hoffman muttered.

"Victor. Who the fuck do these belong to?"

Marcus picked up the tags and studied them. Hoffman took off his hat and rubbed his scalp. Lizzy sighed impatiently and searched the desk for booze. She took a swig of Hoffman's ancient scotch. The bottle slammed on the table; Hoffman took a long drink from it.

* * *

><p>Very short, but I'm updating as I write. I have a lot planned out; it just isn't written yet.<p> 


	3. Padrick Salton

**Disclaimer: Gears of War (c) Epic Games, Microsoft and Cliff Belszinski (I think)**

* * *

><p>Marcus picked up the tags and studied them. Hoffman took off his hat and rubbed his scalp. Lizzy sighed impatiently and searched the desk for booze. She took a swig of Hoffman's ancient scotch. The bottle slammed on the table; Hoffman took a long drink from it.<p>

"Padrick Salton," Marcus said as Hoffman said "your father."

"No fucking way," Marcus mused.

"Where is he? Why did she have his tags?" Lizzy demanded.

"I don't know. After the Hammer deployed, he disappeared. Maybe he sought out Margaret before she made it through the road blocks."

"Who knew about me? Like... Really knew?"

"Helena, Adam Fenix and myself. Originally. I told Margaret everything when you came to live with us."

"Dad never really said anything. He just told me we were having a guest," Marcus mumbled.

"I have another probably important question too," Lizzy sighed. She rolled up her sleeve. Numerous Islander-esque tattoos covered her arm. "What the hell do these mean?"

"They're tattoos. Look like the ones Bernie has, or Tai had."

"Or the ones on Pad's face," Hoffman added. He took another drink. "We don't know who your mother is, or where she was from. Pad came to Helena and I one night with a telegram saying he had a daughter. I gave him leave to visit; I'd always assume you were an Islander like him. When you were about two, Helena found you in Shavad."

"True, there were other kids, but Pad recognized you. From the pictures he had. Shit, he was just a kid then. Could barely take care of himself... Helena just had Anya not too long before, but she thought she could take care of you too... After a few years, you bounced between her, myself and Fenix."

"Then I found a more permanent location to live, and I went to Olafson Intermediate School with Marcus," Lizzy finished.

"Get cleaned up, you look like hell," Hoffman said, trying to smile. "Marcus, take her to the showers. I'll send Anya shortly with clothes."

"Alright. Let's go," Marcus grabbed Lizzy's arm and led her out.

"Shit, she looks familiar," Dom sighed.

"Who is she?" Bernie asked.

"I don't know. Probably a friend of Marcus and Carlos'... She called me Carlos," he mumbled.

Dom still couldn't place her. Bernie placed a comforting arm around him. Cole and Baird looked over at them. Cole shook his head sadly as he dealt another hand. He looked up at Baird, smiling.

"What? Why do you keep lookin' at me Cole?" Baird snapped.

"You did something nice for that girl," Cole smiled.

"... She got pistol whipped. If she wasn't being held, I would've left her alone," Baird snorted.

"So you saved a helpless girl."

"... Shut up," Baird mumbled.

"Oooh! Baby, you have a little crush!" Cole laughed.

"Don't bother," Marcus said, appearing out of no where.

"What?" Baird glared at him. Marcus had no business telling him what, or who for that matter, he could do.

"I said don't bother."

"Why the fuck not?" Baird rose to look Marcus in the eyes.

"Because she's got a lot of shit going on right now."

"Marcus," Dom interrupted, "Who is she? She called me Carlos. Do I really look like him?"

"No, sweetie, you don't," Bernie said softly.

Marcus just shrugged; he wasn't one for words. Dom studied his friend's face, searching desperately for an answer he so needed. The woman looked like Maria from afar, but she called him Carlos. She knew Carlos; she lived with Marcus. She knew Hoffman, and Lizzy called him "Victor". Not many people their age could call him that. She was aura of mystery to Dom, and probably to the rest of Delta. Except Marcus of course. He'd have to talk to the mystery woman himself.


	4. Long Lost blank?

"I'm sorry I don't have anything more your style," Anya apologized.

"It's alright, Deary. Beggars can't be choosers," Lizzy smiled as she looked herself over.

"Elizabeth... Is this really you?"

Lizzy laughed as she hacked her hair shorter. "Yeah. I guess so." She admired herself in a grimy chunk of mirror. Her hair was a tumble of mismatched layers. Instead of being way past her shoulders, it rested lazily by her chin.

"... I... I thought you liked your long hair."

"This is more manageable. I never got around to cutting it until now."

"Because of Marcus and Dom? Because they remind you of-"

"Did Helena ever tell you who my father was?" Lizzy interrupted.

"No. She never mentioned him. No one did. Do you have a name? We might be able to find him," Anya thought aloud.

"Padrick Salton. Islander."

"Pad?"

"I'm guessing you knew him."

"Not very well... Marcus or Colonel Hoffman would know more," Anya sighed.

"Of course Marcus and Victor would know. Between the two of them, they'd know every Gear that's ever served," Lizzy rolled her eyes.

"Probably."

"Anya, do me a favor, yeah?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Don't find him. I don't give a fuck."

Lizzy left Anya alone in her quarters. Anya sat down, tired and mostly still in shock. She hadn't seen, or heard, anything from, or about, her friend since after her mother's funeral. It's like she disappeared off the face of Sera. Anya felt a twinge of guilt; she hadn't given much thought to Lizzy. Not even after the Hammer struck.

The Gears were a-buzz about the Stranded woman that addressed Colonel Hoffman so casually. Gossip flew around that she was his long lost daughter, or maybe she was Anya's evil twin. A few people said she was related to Marcus somehow. Perhaps they were married before E-Day. Chairman Richard Prescott, however, did not buy into any of the rumors floating around. Hoffman and Anya sat in his office. Between the two of them, Prescott didn't get much about Lizzy's past life. From the two Gears that brought her in, he got all he wanted to know about her present life. His decision to deal with her wasn't very thought out, logical, or sane.

"Execute her? Publicly?" Hoffman asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Sir, are you crazy?" Anya tried to keep her voice level.

"For one, she's Stranded. For two, all the things found in her 'headquarters' are illegal for civilian use. Three, this woman has somehow gotten inside our computer networks. What if she gets the Hammer satellites online? She could blow us all up!" Prescott pointed out.

"Not that some of us wouldn't deserve it," Hoffman thought.

"She's a threat," Prescott went on, "to the COG and all we stand for. We can't have a threat. We are within our power under the Fortifica-"

"No," Anya said suddenly.

"Excuse me, Miss Stroud?" Prescott raised an eyebrow.

"No, sir. I will not let you murder Elizabeth Salton."

"Just because her father was a war hero, does not mean she shares the same blood!" Prescott yelled.

"Not just her father. Everyone who has ever had a hand in raising her. It is in her blood to be a Gear. She was raised like that," Anya snapped. "I was raised like that. You'll have to shoot me too. And Marcus, Colonel Hoffman and every Gear in the service"

"Well... If that's how this is going to be..."

"You've got to be fucking joking, _Chairman_," Hoffman said, bitterly, "This is more of your political bullshit. We can't have that anymore! She's a human! We can't host public executions and still call ourselves civilized!"

Hoffman had risen out of his chair; one hand gripped the desk. Prescott still managed to maintain his cool, or at least he appeared that way. He cleared his throat.

"You're right, Anya. We are a civilization; we must act like one. I don't know why I said that," Prescott apologized.

"Because you want control, and Liz is the exact opposite of control," Hoffman thought.

"Victor, you'll handle her?"

"Of course. We'll get her some supplies, and I'll throw her right into the service. Unless you have any objections," Hoffman shrugged.

"No. None at all. You're both dismissed."

Hoffman held the door open for Anya, but before he could leave Prescott called him back. He rummaged through his desk for a second. The chairman stood, so he was eye level with Hoffman. They sort of glared at each other for a few seconds before Prescott cleared his throat again.

"I want her in Delta. Temporarily. And Mataki too. This," he said handing Hoffman a folder, "Is what the COG needs taken care of."

"It's an old high-rise in Jacinto," Hoffman scoffed.

He couldn't believe it. Prescott was going around behind his back and gathering information. He was keeping secrets. Still. In times when nothing should be kept secret anymore. As much as he wanted to hit Prescott for it, he couldn't. It was old information to Hoffman's eyes. He'd seen the building many times. At the moment, numerous civilians lived there. At least, they used to. The ground below logged tremor after tremor, but no Locust ever came up around the area. The civilians were evacuated; a lot of them wanted to leave the building anyway.

"We need the dish on the roof and any equipment on the top floor still operational," Prescott explained.

Hoffman thumbed through the papers. He remained silent, so Prescott continued talking.

"It was an older radio tower until a few years before E-Day. Whatever we can use, we use. Everything else we scrap."

"... We can send a couple of Ravens in to get the dish. Delta goes through the roof to get equipment. We'd need three at the very least... Hmmm..." Hoffman murmured to himself.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm planning, Chairman. I'll get them right on it."

"Very good. You're dismissed," Prescott said.

"Goddamn fool," Hoffman thought as he left, "How did he get this file? Building archives aren't anything like what he hands us."


	5. Flashback Central

Hoffman looked through the file in his office. He wondered what Prescott wanted with a satellite dish, but he didn't think too much on it. For the time being he'd play along. Hoffman made up a list of what Delta would need. He rose to find Marcus, but instead Bernie walked in

"Elizabeth!" Dom called as he chased after her.

Lizzy whipped around; Dom still thought she looked like Maria. She was paler though. It was painful and confusing.

Lizzy smiled at him, "Yeah, Dom?"

"Let's get a drink. I wanna talk to you."

"Right now? Sure," Lizzy smiled.

Dom led her to a nearby bar. He ordered their drinks and brought them to a table. That sat opposite each other. He wanted to study her, but he couldn't. Dom took a long drink in silence. Lizzy just sat there running her fingers up and down the glass.

"I'm sorry," Dom began.

"Why?" she asked.

"... I want to ask you about Carlos."

"Oh."  
>"You knew him, right? You guys were friends? That's why," Dom paused and exhaled slowly, "That's why it hurts to hear he's dead."<br>"It was a lot more complicated than that," Lizzy frowned, "Where should I start?"  
>"The day you first met Carlos."<p>

_Elizabeth Hoffman (as she was called for most of her younger life) stood awkwardly in front of her new class. They __were older than she was, but she was smarter than they could ever be. Her instructor gave a very brief introduction and ushered her to a seat. At their lunch break, she ate alone. No one in her class wanted to be associated with a smartass, orphan. That didn't stop them from tormenting her. After her first day, they rounded up on her._

_"You're just wasting your time here. Nobody wants you," one of the bigger kids said._

_ "You parents didn't even want you!"_

_ "Piss off," she mumbled as she tried to push past them._

_ "What did you say?"_

_ "I said fuck off!" Lizzy shouted._

_ Before they could react, two of them tumbled to the ground. Two other boys from Lizzy grade appeared. One of them jumped the remaining bully as he tried to take off. Lizzy waltzed past her would-be bullies and her saviors._

_ "Hey! Wait!" one chased after her._

_ "You can fuck off too," she said._

_ He grabbed and pulled her hair._

_ "Ow! What the hell is wrong with you!" Lizzy snapped._

_ Carlos just stared blankly for a second; she punched him square in the gut. He stumbled back and doubled over. Marcus kicked one of the bullies in the side before running up to his friend._

_ "I... I'm sorry. I'm Carlos. This is Marcus."_

_ "I don't care," she rolled her eyes and walked away._

_ "Come on, Carlos. Let's go," Marcus nudged him._

_ "I like your hair!" Carlos shouted._

_ Lizzy kept walking away; Carlos silently cursed himself. The two went back to the Santiago house like always. The next day, nobody bothered Lizzy. Time went on, and it was still much of the same. She dropped her lunch in front of Carlos one day. Marcus paid no attention to her; Carlos looked up._

_ "What did you do?" Lizzy demanded as she joined them._

_ "Huh?" Carlos gave her a blank stare._

_ "Nobody bothers me anymore. They won't even fucking look at me."_

_ "You better watch your language, Missy," Marcus muttered._

_ "Other kids treat me the very same way they treat you two."_

_ "You're welcome," Marcus added._

_ "You grew your hair out," Carlos said, "Wait. No. I meant... Shit."_

_ Lizzy started at them in disbelief. Marcus kept on eating; Carlos tried not to look at her._

_ "So, um," Carlos coughed, "I'm Carlos and this is Marcus."_

_ "... Hi... I'm Lizzy," she said softly._

_ "Are you crying?" Marcus asked, staring right at her._

_ "What? No!" she snapped and swatted at him._

_ "Wanna come over after school?" Carlos asked._

_ "... Sure."_

_ Years passed by slowly, and Lizzy tried going a separate way. It didn't work; Carlos never let her out of his sight. Lizzy became an intern under Margaret Hoffman (she was interning at a law firm) right around the time Dom's Maria got pregnant. Marcus and Carlos made their decision to enlist._

_ Lizzy's apartment door went flying open. The bang caused her to knock over the pile of books and papers on her lap. Lizzy flew from the couch to right in front of the door; Carlos came waltzing in. A big, stupid, grin on his face._

_ "Dom and Maria are getting married, Marcus and I enlisted, and I think I love you," he said happily._

_ "What?" she glared._

_ "... Um... Maria's pregnant, I enlisted, and... Nope. That's pretty much it."_

_ "You lie. You said something else. Don't lie to me, Santiago; I know when you're lying."_

_ "They teach you that at your lawyer school?" Carlos laughed._

_ "I skipped that part, sort of. Margaret's letting me study as I'm working there," Lizzy shrugged._

_ She started picking up the papers on the floor. Carlos knelt down to help her, but something inside him didn't want to. Instead, he tackled her. He pinned her shoulders down; Lizzy glared at him. His face was just inches away from hers. They were nose to nose._

_ "You'll never make it in the COG, Carlos. You're fat and your breath smells," she teased._

_ "You'll be the perfect lawyer, Elizabeth. You're smart and heartless," he retorted._

_ "Then why do you love me, Carlos Santiago?"_

_ "Because you love me too, Elizabeth Hoffman."_

_ More time went on. Dom and Maria were married and had their first child (Benedicto); she was pregnant with their second one. Carlos and Marcus were on leave for a short time. They had more training to do for something classified, so Carlos spent his time at Lizzy's._

_ "And Major Stroud! She's fucking insane. Yells all the fucking time. Even at her daughter, man. I don't think I could keep mine around me out there," Carlos rambled._

_ "You have a daughter?" Lizzy asked, amused._

_ "Shit... I mean... If I had one. I'm not saying I want one right now or anything."_

_ "How's Anya?" Lizzy dug Carlos out of the hole he threw himself in. Not that it mattered how Anya was. She called Lizzy whenever she could._

_ "The Major's little girl? She's smart, pretty... Got her eyes all over Marcus. Right, man?"_

_ "Eh?" Marcus looked over at them. A good chunk of his leave time was spent at that apartment as well. Sometimes they'd go to the Santiago's, and once Lizzy dragged him to the Fenix Estate. "Anya? She's... Something. D'you ask her yet?"_

_ "Ask...? What?" Carlos blinked._

_ "Did you really forget? You set one foot in this place, she bats her eyes, and you've forgotten everything!" Marcus snapped._

_ "Hey man! Chill out! I didn't forget!" he turned to Lizzy, "Are you related to Colonel Hoffman?"_

_ "Victor Hoffman?" Lizzy asked._

_ "Yeah. You've got the same last name and all. I just figured..."_

_ "Oh... No. I don't think so. I used to live with them. And Major Stroud."_

_ "And me," Marcus added._

_ "Wow... So... Um... Shit. It's late. I promised Dom we'd check in on Maria. I'll be back tonight, I promise," Carlos jumped to his feet._

_ The two of them left; Carlos came right back inside. Lizzy raised her eyebrows at him quizzically. He swore he'd forgotten something as he knelt down beside her. Carlos kissed her, catching Lizzy by surprise, and left again. She smiled as she went off to bed. Late in the night, someone came back. They awkwardly stumbled through the mess off books in the hallway. Lizzy woke up, groggy. She fumbled for the lights, but a hand enveloped hers._

_ "How was Dom's?" she mumbled._

_ "Alright. Maria just put Benny to bed way before we got there. Marcus and I – hic – went out," Carlos whispered._

_ "Drunk?"_

_ "A bit. Don't have time. We've gotta go soon," he curled up in bed beside her._

_ "Already?" Lizzy sighed._

_ "Yeah... Hey, I know this is a little... Unorthodox, and my timing – hic – is awful, but... Will you marry me?" Carlos asked, sincere as he could be._

_ "What?"_

_ "Marry me. I... Don't have – hic – have a ring right now, but I'll buy one when I get home. I promise."_

_ "... Yes. Yes, Carlos. I wouldn't have it any other way," she smiled in the dark._

_ "Mm... That's – hic – wonderful! I love you, and I'll be right back with a ring once this is over. Are you – hic – gonna see us off?"_

_ "I've got cases in the morning. I'm sorry..."_

_ He kissed her again. Carlos tried to pull away, but Lizzy grabbed him. She pressed her forehead to his for a moment. Marcus pounded on the door._

_ "Let's go!" he shouted._

_ Carlos smiled as he left._

"You and Carlos... Were engaged?" Dom asked.

"Yeah... And he didn't come back," Lizzy ended softly.

"I never knew... I'm so sorry," he murmured.

Dom's hands enveloped hers. Right around that time, Baird and Cole stepped into the bar. Baird's eyes narrowed when he saw the two. For some strange reason he felt an attraction to this girl; it was driving him insane.

"Hey! There's Dom and that girl you saved!" Cole exclaimed.

"Oh great. Well I'm gonna get some drinks. I'll meet you over there," Baird shrugged.

Really his plan was to get incredibly drunk instead. Cole clapped him on the back and jogged over to Dom and Lizzy. Baird turned his back to them. Over at the table, Lizzy stood up and headed to the bar.

"Hey there pretty lady," a drunk mused.

"Leave me alone," she said dismissively.

"That's not very polite!" he slurred and stood in front of her..

Lizzy pushed past him, but the man stepped in front of her again. Lizzy glared at him; like it would make him move. It didn't. He reeked of alcohol. Nobody seemed bothered by the scene. She kept glaring at the man. He invited her to join her elsewhere; Lizzy declined. He grabbed her arm and started tugging her away.

**Crunch**.

The heel of her palm connected with his nose. The man staggered back cupping it. Blood seeped through his fingers.

"I told you to leave me alone," Lizzy said flatly.

She rejoined Dom and Cole. Baird let out a low whistle. That girl was certainly something.


	6. Reloading!

At 0600 a King Raven carrying Delta and two attachments were circling the nearby rooftops of the abandoned radio death trap. Hoffman was elaborating on his grand scheme. They would be split into three teams. Two snipers (on either side of the building) would watch the two man team as they went in. The snipers would also have another Gear with them to watch them while they sniped. Hoffman prayed Liz was a good a sniper as her father. Bernie found her an older model Longshot. It was hard to tell, but it seemed like someone crudely etched "pad" on the metal plate of the rifle butt.

Marcus and Dom would be the "ground" team; Anya would navigate them through Jack. Bernie and Cole would be on the east face of the building; Liz and Baird on the west. Hoffman and the Raven would be waiting for Dom and Marcus to hook up the useless shit Prescott wanted them to get.

"D'ya know how to use the harness? We're not gonna land and take off again. Y'all are gonna have to jump," the gunner drawled.

Lizzy studied the harness for a few minutes. Baird smirked; he was about to make one of his smart-ass remarks about female Gears. Lizzy unhooked most of the safety straps, fastened the strongest hook to her armor, grabbed her Longshot and sawed-off and swan dove from the King Raven. The cord tightened; she dangled a good 10 feet from the top of the roof. Lizzy unhooked herself and dropped easily to the concrete.

She looked up at the KR and put a hand to her ear, "You next, Pretty Boy. I wanna see you one-up me now, bitch."

"Fuck you. Fuck her!" Baird snarled as he fumbled with the straps.

Dom and Bernie were laughing. Cole tried to reassure Baird that Lizzy was joking. Marcus and Hoffman just stood there, stone-faced. The pilot harassed Baird to "get the fuck of my bird." He lowered himself down; the bird soared off to the other side. Lizzy was perched by the edge. There was a chunk of rock behind her. Perfect cover. Just in case, you know? Baird did a quick sweep of the rooftop. His ear fizzled and crackled.

"Fucking piece of junk," Baird hissed. He fished the Tac-Com out of his ear to fiddle with the wires. He jammed it back in, "Sorry. What was that?"

"I asked if you saw anything," Lizzy repeated.

"No. Be right there."

"Alright. Fenix and Santiago are being dropped on the roof now," Hoffman's voice rang in their ears.

"I've got tremors right below you," Anya was there too.

"When are they gonna surface?" Bernie asked.

Baird got back to Lizzy. She was focused on Marcus and Dom. He looked around the base of the building for signs of emergence holes. Lizzy had a finger on her Tac-Com; she was talking quietly with Bernie. Baird switched his frequency to hear what was going on.

"So when we see both, who's covering whom?" Lizzy asked.

"Huh?"

"It'd be easier to just cover one of them if they're both in our sights."

"True, true," Bernie mused. Baird guessed she was nodding.

"Any preference?"

"Not as long as neither one gets shot. You?"

"Not really. I'll take Fenix I guess," Lizzy shrugged.

Baird scowled and changed frequencies in disgust. Jealousy and rage boiled inside him. Marcus, Dom and Hoffman loaded the junk on the KR. The bird was leaving; the duo were headed to the ground. No sign of grubs. Yet.

"Of course it's Fenix. He's so fucking fantastic," he thought bitterly, "He gets all the damn women! Fuck!..."

** Rumble**

** Rumble**

** Rumble**

Baird looked at his feet. Lizzy swiveled her scope to the bottom of the radio tower. If Marcus and Dom weren't near any windows, they couldn't get cover fire. Shots rang out from Bernie and Cole's side. Grubs started crawling from the ground on the west side. They snarled as they stormed into the radio tower. Waves of drones and wretches seeped their way inside.

Baird's mind was running a mile a minute. He drew up the tunnel maps in his head; calculations ticked off in his brain. Lizzy cocked her rifle, took a deep breath and held it. Wordless, and barely motionless, she fired the first shot.

**Thhhhnk. **Too low; the round buried itself in her target's flesh. Or armor. She wasn't sure which. Lizzy didn't move from where she was. The rifle stayed still. **Click. **Reload and re-aim all in one go. **Bang.** **Splat. Thud. **A boomer dropped. The other locust paid no mind; they trampled it on their way in.

"It's like a fucking ambush in here!" Marcus roared in their ears.

"I've got them on my side," Bernie said.

"Baird, Cole. Get those holes outside closed. Liz, take as many as you can. Bernie, stay on us," Marcus ordered.

Something wasn't right to Baird. There were more tremors than E-Holes and grubs. His body went through the motions of tossing frags and occasionally popping off a shot. Lizzy was sucked into her rifle. Nothing was breaking her concentration. Every now and then, over the sounds of battle, Baird could hear her taking deep breaths.

It hit him. Like a proverbial ton of bricks. He stopped firing, prayed it wasn't too late and jammed his finger in his ear.

"COLE! Watch your back!" he shouted.

Baird spun around in time to see grubs storming the stairs. He ducked behind the rock and fired. Bullets whizzed by his head; he hoped they didn't hit Lizzy. Frustrated, Baird pushed that thought out of his head. His survival was more important. The seconds ticked by. They felt like hours. Baird looked out. Just one trying to crawl away. He hopped over the rock. Drone. Flipped it.

"We're clear. Everyone alright?" his ear said.

He smashed the drone's face in with his boot. Lizzy stood as she cracked her neck. They faced each other. Cole and Bernie hadn't replied to Marcus either.

"Hey! Delta! Still alive up there?" Marcus snapped.

"Yeah, Baby! We're just clearing up some grubs. Good thing Damon warned us when he did. See you in a bit," Cole replied hastily.

"Baird. Lizzy. Still alive?" Dom asked.

Baird put his hand to his ear to reply. Lizzy's facial expression changed from amused to "oh, shit." She raised her Lancer, but it was too late. Baird dropped to the floor instinctively at the sound of gun shots. She dropped too, but it wasn't intentional.

"Shit, shit, shit!" he hissed.

Hands on the Lancer, he spun to fire. Prone. Empty clip. Lizzy was still by the edge. Bleeding.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!"

"Reload", his brain told him, "For the love of me, reload! I'm not gonna end up splatters on the fucking wall! RELOAD, RELOAD... **RELOAD**."

"Fuck you," Lizzy said.

She had dragged herself up and from the edge to Baird. Now she stood as a shield. The drone swung at her. Lizzy dropped to her knees. Longshot discarded well behind her. Her eyes gleamed; Baird swore he heard something snap. She shoved the sawed-off in the grub's face.

"For the Queen!" it garbled.

She didn't look, didn't blink, didn't think. Just pulled the trigger. Bits and blood went everywhere. Baird got to his feet and tried to keep her conscious. His ear was blowing up.

Calmly as he could, he put a free hand to his ear. "Control, I need a med evac. Stat," he reiterated his location to Anya. He was shaking. For the first time in a long time, Baird felt terrified. The worst part was that he didn't know why.

"Roger that, Delta."

"Shit," Marcus said from the ground.

* * *

><p>Chapter 7 should be up tomorrow hopefully! Along with some revisions I've made to previous chapters! Ifwhen I make them, I'll give you a heads up with an update to this story!


	7. So White

Lizzy woke up in the medical bay. Her face was slightly bruised; her shoulder heavily bandaged. She had her own little closed off area. It felt nice. The doctor, she assumed, was outside yelling at someone. Figures pushed past the doctor and into Lizzy's corner. It was Hoffman, Anya and Marcus. Anya was apologizing to Dr. Hayman for Marcus and Hoffman.

"You are damn lucky to be alive," Hoffman snapped.

"Baird was supposed to have your six out there. What the fuck was he doing?" Marcus demanded.

Anya just smiled; she knew she wouldn't be able to get a word in. Hoffman and Marcus continued ranting about different things.

"And furthermore! What makes you think you can just dive off a fucking Raven! That's a damn good way to get yourself killed!" Hoffman added. He was fuming, or at least pretending to be.

"I'm glad you're still alive," Anya finished for them.

"Thank you, Anya. At least somebody is," Lizzy glared at Marcus and Hoffman.

"That reminds me. Where's Baird?" Hoffman asked Marcus.

"Hey, hey now. Just because I got shot doesn't mean you have to chew him out," Lizzy argued, "It's not his fault. We thought he got them all. If I catch either of you giving him a hard time, I'll crack your skulls."

Her shoulder throbbed. The doctor came in a ushered everyone out. She doubled checked Lizzy's wound before excusing herself. There were more important patients; nothing Hoffman could say would change that. They promised to release her to active duty again in a few days. Lizzy took another nap. Dreams and nightmares of old memories flooded her mind.

_In passing, Margaret told her the men would be coming back from Aspho Fields. She was given time off to see them as they came in. Victor would be coming home. It had been a long time since his wife had greeted him as he returned. She wasn't about to start again any time soon. Busy, busy, busy._

_ Lizzy road a bus with countless other people. Carlos' parents weren't there; neither was Maria. Maybe they were already at the docks. Maria was probably with the kids. There was an even bigger crowd at the docks. Families greeted their Gears. Lizzy could pick out the Santiagos. Dom was hugging his children and wife. His father clutched Mrs. Santiago. Adam Fenix and Carlos were no where to be seen. Hoffman stood beside Anya. It looked like he had an arm around her shoulders. Marcus faced the water at the end of the docks. Lizzy pushed through everyone to get to him._

_ One faced echoed in her brain. His face was covered in blue tattoos; his hair was a firey explosion. An Islander for sure. She pushed him aside as well._

_ "Marcus," Lizzy said as she placed an arm on his shoulder._

_ "I'm sorry," was all he said._

_ Marcus was clutching something, but he pocketed it. Lizzy pressed her face to his chest. He took her in his arms. Nobody bothered them._

_ From a distance, that Islander watched them. He felt a tug at his heartstrings. From his pocket he produced an old, faded picture. It was him, a woman and a baby. In that moment, the Islander was stricken with deep sorrow and regret. Maybe if he had brought his daughter into his life, things would be different for her. She wouldn't be heartbroken in that instant. Ultimately, he did nothing. He felt there was nothing to do. _

Lizzy's eyes slid into focus as Dr. Hayman turned her light off. She jotted somethings down in a folder. Lizzy relaxed in her chair; Baird was waiting outside of Hayman's makeshift office. He had mumbled something about an apology after she was released.

"You, my dear girl, are damn lucky. That bullet was a hair away from your brachial artery. Right where the artery connects," she gingerly traced the Lizzy's artery, "To the neck. It missed that... Obviously, the bone as well. Tore right through your muscles up here..." Hayman pointed again.

Lizzy couldn't stop thinking about the lab coat. It was so fucking white. Hayman continued about exercise, medication, and taking more caution on the field. She then went on to explain that there was no surplus of medication Lizzy could have, so "if anything doesn't feel right, I've got some pills for that." Lizzy assured Hayman that she'd be fine. Lizzy was given some extra bandages, and instructed on how to change them.

Hayman snorted, "I better not see you in here for a long time."  
>With that, she was ushered out the door. More important patients, again. Baird was still waiting; he was fiddling with his Tac-Com. They walked around outside. People ignored them. Lizzy often wondered what they thought about the Gears. Baird thought about what to say. He seemed to have forgotten how to talk. They found a semi-secluded place to sit, so they did.<p>

"Does it hurt?" Baird asked. _Of course it does, are you fucking stupid?_, he thought.

"Yeah. Well... It's better. Doc says it could've been worse. Missed my artery and bones," Lizzy shrugged with her good shoulder. _Of course my shoulder hurts; I was fucking shot, moron,_ she thought.

"That's... uh... good. I wanted... Lizzy, um... Th-thank you."_ I sound pathetic. What the fuck is wrong with me?_

"For what?" _He sounds pathetic. What the fuck is wrong with him?_

"For saving my life," Baird explained. _What a fucking cliché._

"You were my partner. That's what you do for your partner; you protect them," she said dismissively._ What a dumbass._

"Yeah, well... If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been in any danger anyway."

"Sure. Whatever. Look, Vic's waiting for me in his office. I gotta go. Reassignment," Lizzy stood.

"No more Delta for you, huh? Hoffman's gotta protect his little girl. Good riddance."

"See you around, Blondie."

With that, she left him. Baird sat there alone in silence for a long while. What good was a female Gear anyway? Liz was nothing special; just another stupid girl. Emotions flooded him, and it wasn't a good feeling.

* * *

><p>A little later than I expected, but updated! Chapter four was revised to make more sense as well.<p> 


	8. KR 42 Inbound

Lizzy was assigned to a Raven. That bird would either go on supply runs or on emergency evacuations. She was cover fire; along with the guns attached. It was a compromise between Lizzy and Hoffman. He wanted to stick her in Control; she wanted to be in a squad. It wasn't exactly front line infantry, but she saw combat a couple times a week.

"We're firing up, lil missy. Better strap your self in," Robinson, the copilot, shouted.

"Wouldn't want you taking another swan dive!" Rodger, the pilot, added.

"Where we headed to?" Lizzy ignored their comments as they took off.

"Some squad needs evac. Thirty klics south south west of here."

In no time, she was lowering herself in the middle of a firefight. The Raven had to land farther back than originally planned, so Lizzy would have help them take out some grubs. Her favorite part of the job. It worked better, however, if some people didn't consider her some sort of terrorist. The squad captain scoffed as she landed.

"I ask for reinforcements, and they send _you_," he sneered.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to step aside. It's time to let the professional do her job," Lizzy had learn to ignore people like that.

He scowled at her while the less injured Gear explained the situation. The three hid themselves behind a rock. Occasionally they fired back at the grubs. Lizzy did a quick head count. There was the captain, the incredibly injured guy, and the slightly less injured guy. One Gear was missing.

"He needs medical attention. Get him to the Raven now," Lizzy said.

The captain was about to interject, but the other Gear quickly agreed.

"We're a man short. Where is he?" she continued

The captain didn't get time to complain about her hijacking his squad.

"We were going to investigate the ruins of that town up there. Find food and ammo. Grubs ambushed us, and he's still in there somewhere," the Gear pointed.

Lizzy paused to think for a second. "Okay, Raven now. Go. I've got cover fire. I'll get your man out."

The three Gears headed for the Raven. Lizzy lobbed a smoke grenade over the rock. She heard the grubs cough and sputter. Lancer out, she laid waste to the first ones she saw stagger out of the smoke. One clip empty, reloaded, and another smoke grenade out. It covered her escape. Less of an escape as it was a blind charge towards the grubs. Lizzy revved the Lancer as she ran.

Bits and blood sprayed in her face. She kicked the dead grub forward. Moving on to the next. She blind fired in front of her as the smoke cleared. A few more grubs down. This run was a really bad one to not bring a shotgun. Lizzy dove for cover. A voice buzzed in her ear.

"Hey lady, you supposed to be my back up?" it teased.

"Control only sends the best," Lizzy retorted.

"Fancy working with you. Heard stories."

"Stories don't mean shit."

"Live action is the best, huh?" he laughed, "So you're a sniper, right? There's a nice tower for you to get the big ones off of me."

"Boomers and such? Sounds like my kind of party," Lizzy replied.

She scurried for the tower. It was practically toppling over. A flight of stairs below her nest, she planted a smoke grenade. Another one behind her. Lizzy made herself comfortable as she drew her Longshot. A sizable explosion not to far away shook the tower. Lizzy guessed that's where her missing Gear was.

"I assume that's you?" she asked, always good to double check.

"Just making sure you notice me," he said, still cheery.

She zoomed in on the dust. Deep breath, and Lizzy squeezed the trigger. It was a really nasty mess that guy had gotten himself into. A boomer dropped. She reloaded and dropped another boomer. She zoomed out for a second to gather her surroundings again. A sniper took a potshot at her Gear. Her scope and eyes snapped to his position. Calmly, Lizzy reloaded and fired.

"Damn!" the Gear whistled, "That's why I wear a helmet!"

"Lil Missy!" a familiar drawl buzzed in Lizzy's ear. "Give us your position, and we'll grab you."

Lizzy reiterated her location to the Raven. She scrambled to the top of her tower as they swooped down. Lizzy hooked herself in. A sniper way down below fired. His shot was too low; it missed Lizzy's head and torso. Instead, it nicked her thigh.

"Rodger. Fly by that pile of collapsed building," Lizzy winced

"Doing a pick up?" Robinson asked, "Want me to leave you down there?"

"Pull me up real quick."

She attached herself to a harness as Rodger flew over. Quickly, she double checked all the hooks. Lizzy was gone just as soon as she was there.

"Hey, you're bled on my bird," Rodger remarked, nonchalantly.

"What the fuck are you doing? You've been shot!" Robinson scolded.

"Fucking trust me," Lizzy grumbled.

"You have a crazy idea of sniping," the Gear below laughed.

Lizzy landed on a drone. She kept her balance as she rammed the barrel of her Longshot down another one's throat. Lizzy fired and swung the Longshot below her, bludgeoning her ladder. Her leg was screaming in agony. As she slung her Longshot on her back, she grabbed the Gear's outstretched arm. The Raven hoisted them up. Once safely aboard the Raven, the Gear clapped Lizzy hard on the back. His squad mate hastily wrapped up her leg.

"Thanks. Guess those stories are all true," he laughed, "Swan diving off Ravens, saving guys after you've been shot, general badassery..."

"Hey, buddy, shut the fuck up, and let me pass out in peace," Lizzy snapped.

"Control, this is KR-42. We are inbound with two in need of immediate medical attention," Robinson reported.

"Copy that, Robinson. Safe to assume Lizzy's one of them?" Anya sighed.

"Rrrrroger that, Ma'am."


	9. A Kiss

Lizzy propped her wheelchair up on one wheel and tried spinning in circles. The good doctor caught her and glared menacingly. Dr. Hayman wasn't ecstatic to see Liz again. It was almost to be expected. After all, the girl took regular swan dives off Ravens and had a nasty habit of getting shot.

"Can we skip the part where you tell me how lucky I am? You're a very busy woman," Lizzy stated.

"You'll be in that chair for a few months. Consider yourself damn lucky that Gear didn't let me lob off your fucking leg," Hayman retorted.

"Victor ask you to?"

"Surprisingly, no. Here's some pills for the pain. The cast can come off in two to three weeks, but you'll be in that chair for about three or four months. After two months we can see how you're doing and get some physical therapy going."

The lab coat was still sparkling white. Liz couldn't believe it. She began to wheel herself away, but Hayman grabbed her chair.

"You wanted to skip this part, but it's imperative that you realize how fucking lucky you got," Hayman said, "Had that bullet decided to hit your femur you'd be walking with a cane for the rest of your life. It barely tore through your muscles."

Liz bit her lip and nodded. She wheeled herself to Control. A temporary reassignment until she was 100% better. Hoffman would sleep better this way. Until she coerced him to let her back on the field.

Donneld Mathieson, another command controller, sat lazily in his chair. Anya, not too far from him, was instructing some squad out of peril. A burly Gear stood behind Mathieson; he turned as Liz wheeled herself in. Under his helmet, he was smiling.

"Hey!" he called, "I'm the guy you saved yesterday, remember?"

"Yeah. How's your squad doing now?" Liz asked.

"Better. Three of us got reassigned. Other guy's getting patched up."

"That's good," she wheeled herself past him.

"I'm Clayton. Clayton Carmine," Clayton offered her his hand.

"Liz... Liz Hoffman. I've got things to do, Clayton. I'll see you around," she replied, shaking his hand.

"We're a bit busy here for anybody to teach you the ropes, Liz," Mathieson said.

"Haven't you heard?" Clayton cocked his head.

"Heard what?" Liz asked.

"We're partners," he beamed.

"Until I can walk again or what?"

"Hoffman wasn't clear on that part," Clayton shrugged.

"Speaking of. He wanted to see you," Mathieson added.

Liz sighed and began wheeling herself away. Clayton followed. He was a fucking babysitter, for fucks sake! She didn't need a babysitter; she needed to get her leg all back to normal. Front line was calling her name. Not exactly front line, but you get the idea. "Combat" was probably Liz's middle name. Part of her regretted not enlisting with Carlos; part of her regretted not grabbing a gun after the Hammer strikes. She could have joined a Stranded outpost. Instead, she barricaded herself in a house and waited.

"You rang?" she knocked on Hoffman's open door.

"Liz, fantastic. I see you've met Carmine," Hoffman didn't look up from the papers on his desk.

"Yeah, you can say that. Why the babysitter, Vic?"

"Babysitter?" Clayton snorted.

"Partner. I don't want you going out alone when you're back on your feet, got it? So take the time to get acquainted now. Once you're up, you're out again," Hoffman explained.

"Really? Like... Really, really?"

"Yes. By the way, Prescott wants to know what you were doing before they caught you... Liz, you couldn't really get to the Hammer satellites, could you?" he looked up at her. Genuine concern in his eyes.

_Do I lie to him? Vic deserves the truth_, she thought. "Had I so desired, then yes."

Hoffman swallowed, "Okay, but don't you fucking tell him that. He already thinks you're dangerous enough."

She nodded.

"He'll meet us in Control. Let's get moving."

"We were just there," Liz sighed.

"It's not like you have to walk there or anything," Clayton laughed.

Prescott was impatient. He tapped his fingers furiously on the arm of a chair. Liz rolled in at high speed and circled him a few times like a shark. Maitheson and Anya were amused. Prescott and his Onyx guard were not. He shook his head in disbelief.

"I presume Victor explained why I'm here," he said, all high and mighty.

"An assessment of my capabilities," Liz replied happily.

Prescott nodded. Still impatient.

"I'd like to begin by telling you that I could not have gotten to the Hammer satellites. I realize their security is of the utmost importance to you, Chairman sir," Liz began.

Hoffman forced himself to stay stone-faced. He had forgotten to ask Liz to refrain from her smart ass antics.

"Oh well, it'll be a better show this way," Hoffman decided to himself.

Prescott glared at her. "Miss, had I wanted to be talked back to I would strike up a conversation with Corporal Baird," he snapped.

Liz smiled widely, "Through the computers your men found in my home, I was able to access some of the systems here. Keep in mind I couldn't gain speech functionality, but I was able to download maps and routes of service and supply runs. If I noticed tremors in the nearby areas, I'd reroute the squads."

"How?" Prescott asked.

"... I'd pull up Control's seismic trackers, Sir."

"That map there," Prescott pointed to a screen, "There's a supply run coming back. Are they in any danger?"

He really thought he'd get her that way. Force her to apply herself under pressure. She'd crack. He'd be able to prosecute. It was perfect.

Liz's eyes flicked to the screen. Mathieson handed her a keyboard; Anya carefully installed a Tac-Com. Liz's fingers flew gracefully over the keyboard. She pulled up an aerial map of the location, the tremors logged there, and the tracker in the Dill.

"Squad name?" she asked.

"Gamma," Anya replied.

Liz stared at the screen. She blinked occasionally; her focus never breaking. Prescott smiled thinking he was actually winning. Seismic activity was low in that area, and it had been for the past few months.

"Any maps of the grub tunnels there?" Liz asked.

"... Um... No, but we can get Baird in here," Anya offered.

Liz smiled, "Do it, please." It was the perfect chance to show him up, as well.

Calculations ticked off in her head. Maybe Gamma would be okay, but only if there were no tunnels below them. Emergence holes were far and few between in Gamma's location. Minutes slowly went by before Baird was brought in by Prescott's Onyx guards.

"The fuck do you want?" he snorted, looking at Liz.

She pulled up a view through the robot Gamma had with them.

"Any tunnels by them?" she asked.

Baird changed focus to the screen. Maps, numbers, and charts. It all made beautiful sense to him. Liz was, subtly, putting Prescott in his place. He couldn't help but assist her for a change. Although, antagonizing would be much more fun. A squad's life was on the line. No time for games.

"From the E-holes in the surrounding areas... Maybe not directly under them. Running parallel to the road if anything," he decided.

Liz inhaled and exhaled (just like she did in combat, Baird noticed). Her fingers flew across the keyboard once again. She, calmly, pressed an finger to her ear.

"Gamma, this is Control. Expect grubs emerging on your right. Turn left immediately," she said cautiously.

"I... What? Okay... Um, copy that Control. Should we take this off road?" Gamma replied.

"There's going to be another road not too far off. It'll take you right home."

"Ha, 'home' is a relative term, Control. Copy that. Turning now."

As Gamma turned, Prescott snorted again. "You're wasting my time. You cannot possibly know when the Locust are going to emerge. This is a waste for precious imulsion."

"I'm saving their lives," Liz said calmly.

Sure enough, the ground below Gamma rumbled. Things began beeping in Control. Anya ran over to some machines.

"I'm getting seismic activity... Just where Gamma had been," she said, looking over at Liz.

The road tumbled below Sera. Grubs poured out, hoping to ambush a COG vehicle. Instead they got nothing. Gamma was safely on a different road back Jacinto. Liz turned to Prescott; a smug look on her face.

"I hope I lived up to your standards, Chairman," she mused.

Prescott rose, and left. Without a word. His Onyx guard were soon to follow. Hoffman finally let out the laugh he had been holding in since the whole ordeal began. Anya breathed a sigh of relief. Mathieson was immediately over the air with Gamma and surrounding units. Baird wallowed in disbelief; he made his way to the doors.

"Hey, alright! Way to go, Partner," Clayton laughed as he clapped her on the shoulder.

"Thanks. Hey! Pretty Boy, where you off to in such a hurry?" Liz demanded, wheeling herself after Baird.

"I've got things to do. All of which don't involve you," he snapped.

"No need to be so hostile," Liz shrugged, keeping pace with him.

Baird remained silent. He glanced behind them; nobody was following. Especially not the partner. Liz continued to follow him outside. Only stopping as he stood in front of the steps.

"What's with the new guy?" Baird asked.

"Why? You jealous?" Liz teased.

"Do I look jealous of him? Please. Don't think so lightly of me. I have a vast, superior intellect. I understand it may be hard for you to keep up," he rolled his eyes.

"Me keep up with you? It's not even taxing. I can do it in my sleep. I'm the one that predicted grub holes just a few minutes ago. Am I not?"

Baird snorted, "I can do that."

"But you didn't, and I did," Liz stuck her tongue out at him.

He shrugged and headed down the steps.

"What's it take?" Liz asked.

"Hmm?" Baird turned to face her.

"I can do physical combat, death-defying feats, and battles of wits. What's it take for you?"

"Look, bitch, you might think you're so high and mighty, but you're not. You're just another girl. One that happens to know her way around a grub tunnel. That doesn't make you special. Nothing does, and nothing will. I don't give a fuck that your daddy and husband are dead. I don't give a fuck that Hoffman and Fenix marked you off limits. You're just a fucking waste of my breath," he crouched to her level, leaning in close.

Liz grabbed his collar and pulled Baird closer. Perplexed for a second, he didn't anticipate this. His brain searched for a logical explanation or a way out. Before he could find one, she slammed her head forward and let go. Baird stumbled back; blood trickled down his face. Headbutt, bloody nose, fuck.

"I hope you weren't expecting a kiss. See you around, Pretty Boy," she smirked.

Liz wheeled herself around and went back inside. Baird stood, confused, on the steps. His nose hurt. Gingerly, he placed his hand over it.

"Shit. Was I really expecting a kiss?" he thought to himself.


	10. A Rescue

Months passed. Liz proved to be a huge help for Control. Between her and Baird, Control had comprehensive maps of numerous grub tunnels that weren't previously mapped. Clayton was more or less in the way the entire time. He refused to leave Liz's side. Anya and Liz eventually convinced him to at least stand out of their way. Liz was on her feet occasionally. Hayman had given her a cane so she could do her physical therapy on her own. Under Hoffman's orders, the good doctor assured Liz would be back to combat in another few weeks.

"Hey, uh, Control. This is Sigma," a familiar voice crackled in Liz's ear, "We're in position, but there's no sign of grubs yet.

"Copy that Sigma," Anya began.

"Damon was just wonderin' if Liz would be a sweetheart and work her magic," Cole interrupted.

Liz was already ahead of him. Anya instructed Baird to change frequencies as Liz did the same. Anya then repeated everything Liz said to the rest of Sigma.

"There hasn't been much Locust activity in your area," Liz mumbled.

"Is there a map of tunnels for this area?" Baird asked.

Liz's eyes scanned the map. "Tunnels run under your position, but the map shows them stopping about 30 to 40 yards..."

Their minds came to the same conclusion. "Ambush," they said simultaneously.

Hell broke loose in Control.

"We've lost signal with Sigma," Mathieson said.

"I'll have Delta sent into their position. Liz, is there... Liz? Carmine?" Anya glanced around.

Liz was halfway to the door the second she said "ambush." Clayton followed, ignoring her protests. He decided it would be faster if he ran, instead of waiting up on Liz's chair. Clayton lifted her easily with one arm. He had her cane in his other. Her chair sat abandoned in the hallway. Liz, ignoring Clayton's form of transportation, was dictating orders to a Raven team.

"42?" Clayton asked.

"That's where my gun's at," Liz replied.

Robinson and Rodger were waiting for them. Robinson insisted that Liz wear a harness; she ignored her. The pilots prepared for takeoff; Liz gave them Sigma's last location.

"Four-two!" a voice bellowed from down the hall. "Stand down! I repeat stand the fuck down! Do not take off!"

Marcus sprinted towards them. He didn't look happy; he never looked happy for that matter. In that instance, he looked down right angry. Liz motioned for them to keep going. She would handle Marcus. Clayton boarded the bird. Rodger and Robinson continued their routine.

"You're not going anywhere," Marcus said flatly.

"Try and stop me, Fenix," Liz shook her head.

"I am your superior officer and I am ordering you to stand the fuck down!" he snapped.

"Sorry."

Liz smashed the butt of her rifle in Marcus' face. He stumbled back, clutching his nose. Clayton helped Liz on the Raven. He waved at Marcus, smiling under his helmet.

"For fuck's sake this is suicide!" Marcus howled.

He ducked as the Raven took off. Liz blew him a kiss as they soared away.

"So that's Marcus Fenix," Clayton thought.

"I seem to have developed a nasty habit of breaking noses," Liz smiled to herself.

"Hey, lil miss, what are we doing exactly?" Robinson asked, "Evac or what?"

"Well that depends," Liz replied.

"On what?"

"Seeders."

"Well shit," Rodger laughed.

"Alright, alright. You leave this to me now," Robinson mused, "I'll come up with something."

"KR-Four-Two. This is Lt. Stroud. We have confirmed seeders in the area around Sigma's last known position. Proceed with extreme caution," Anya's voice crackled over the radio.

"Will do, ma'am. Alright, boys and lil missy. Here's what we're gonna do. Our bird ain't to fond of seeders. So we'll make a drop point. You go down, you bring the boys there, and we'll bring everyone home quick like."

"Copy that, Four-Two," Anya said.

"Sounds good to me," Clayton shrugged.

"Elizabeth!" the radio roared.

"Lovely to hear from you today, Colonel," Liz replied.

"Don't talk back to me, young lady," Hoffman snapped.

"Sounds like somebody's in trouble," Clayton laughed.

"For the love of **(static)...** Just fucking **(static)...** Or I'll tear your **(static)... **You all got that?"

"We're in seeder range, Colonel," Robinson explained.

"The fuck **(static)...**" Hoffman's voice faded out.

"Shit. Okay. Well. Drop site! Everybody off! Careful on your way down."

Back in Jacinto, Hoffman was hollering, pointlessly, to KR-Four-Two. Anya, as calmly as she could, gave orders to the rest of CIC. Marcus tried tracking down a free Raven for another evacuation of Sigma's location. He was having no such luck. Dom pointed out it wasn't too far away, and that they could just take an Armadillo.

* * *

><p>Liz didn't swan dive off the Raven that time. She, carefully, lowered herself down. Clayton was already waiting for her. Their pilots gave them thirty minutes to find Sigma and get out. After that, precious fuel was at stake.<p>

Clayton led the way. He went further ahead, for reconnaissance. Sigma was locked down, but alive nevertheless. Grubs kept pouring out of holes. Clayton scanned the area for a suitable sniper's nest. One that would be easy for Liz to climb, and for him to defend. He went back to get her.

"Can you make it up there?" he gestured to one of the nests he found.

"Fuck that," Liz shrugged.

They went further ahead. Liz found, ground level, cover. A nice place to make their rescue. She switched on her Tac-Com (having turned it off in the Raven as to ignore Hoffman). Rifle up. Eye on the scope. Breathing adjusted. She waited.

"Um... What should I do?" Clayton asked.

"Distraction. Let Sigma know we're here," Liz suggested.

"Okay, I'll let you know if I die."

"Please do."

Liz considered firing over Baird's head. It might give away her position, unfortunately. She'd hate to have Cole explain why Baird lobbed a grenade at her.

Inhale. Exhale. Aim. **Bang. Splat. Thud. **A drone dropped. Crackling in her ear. Maybe the seeder had left? She zoomed out as she reloaded. A better view of the havoc in front of her.

"Shit... Fuck! Can anyone fuck**(static)...**" Baird was screaming.

Liz fired off another shot. To her left, she could hear Clayton's distraction. He had tagged a boomer, taken it's boomshot, and fired it in the face of a grinder.

"Who **(static)** fuck is fucking stu**(static) **to do that?" Baird demanded.

"What Damon meant to **(static)** was that **(static) **grateful. Tha**(static)**, Liz," Cole said.

There was less and less static as the skirmish waged on. Clayton had fought his way to Sigma. Ten minutes left before they had to return. The horde before them was thinning out. Liz took another shot before leaving her position. She hobbled toward the drop point.

"So do we clear these fuckers out, or what?" Baird asked.

"Naw, baby. We let them live to fight another day! Let's go home," Cole smiled.

"Sure, anything you say," Baird rolled his eyes.

"Woo!"

Their ride was hovering as close to the ground as she could. The wounded was loaded first. Minus Liz. She refused to board until everyone else was on. The Locust noticed the Raven. Random shots went off in their location.

"Now's not the time to argue, sweetheart. Get your ass on that bird!" Baird snapped.

"You first, Pretty Boy!" Liz argued.

"Both of you shut up, and get up here!" Clayton yelled.

"KR-Four-Two, Sigma. This is Delta. We are on a Dill heading to your location. ETA twenty minutes," Dom said.

"Go! We'll catch the bus outta here!" Liz decided.

"You're telling me I'm stuck here with you? Fantastic," Baird rolled his eyes.

"Your call, lil miss. You come see us the second you get back. Less, of course, you're in the infirmary again," Robinson joked.

Liz waited for the Raven to fly off. Baird shoved her behind cover as he fired in the direction of the horde.

"We can't stay here," he pointed out.

Liz thought of an exit. They could run back towards Jacinto, but there was no guarantee their path would lead to Delta. She was directionless, map-less, and so very lost. Liz remembered a small town to the south of Sigma's original location. They had been heading there to scavenge for supplies.

"This way," she breathed.

Liz grabbed his hand, and they took off together. Off into the unknown. Off away from the Armadillo. Which was probably for the best. Marcus was fuming; his nose wasn't broken, but it still hurt.


	11. Stranded Oh the Irony

**(c) Epic, etc, etc**

* * *

><p>As they neared the town, their radios went dead. Baird cursed some and griped about being stuck in the middle of no where with a girl. Liz decided, to herself, that he might be gay. The sun began setting, and they needed shelter for the night.<p>

"At least this place is abandoned," Baird muttered.

"This close to Jacinto you'd figure somebody would be living here," Liz shrugged.

"Let's get higher ground."

"Top floor, third building on our right," Liz pointed.

Baird didn't really understand why she was so specific. It had to be some sniper thing. Vantage points, he assumed.

The first floor was once a bakery, probably. The ovens were rusted and dented. The counter and tables were charred. There was no front door, and most of the first floor windows were broken. Liz planted a grenade at the bottom of the stairs, and Baird planted another at the top of the stairs. The second floor looked more promising. There were two apartments. One, doorless, had been ransacked. The other provided a wonderful view of the street below. What had been its kitchen was scorched and charred. Bookshelves were overturned, and a radio lay broken on the floor. It had one bedroom, which was empty. The only furniture rested in the kitchen and living room. Burnt tables and chairs, bookshelves, and a couch, mostly intact.

"Home sweet home," Baird grumbled.

Liz tore up floorboards in the bedroom closet while Baird fortified the door.

"So this place have a better view or am I missing something?" he asked.

"I like the number three, and I'm right handed," Liz called.

"Really?" he snorted, "What are you doing?"

"This might be a Stranded camp. Maybe we got lucky, and they didn't notice us. Pick a gun and put the rest of your junk in the hole."

Liz kept her longshot, of course. Baird stuck with a shotgun. Between them, anything far and near would easily be taken care of. He tried the Tac-Com again, but no luck. Liz watched out the window for any signs of life.

"Think the Locust followed us?" Baird asked.

His question answered itself with gunshots. Grubs poured into the town, and humans flooded the street. Liz moved to the first floor. Baird reluctantly followed.

"If she gets shot, it'll be all my fault," he muttered grimly.

Together, they watched the Stranded take out the grubs from their previous skirmish. Liz was looking off somewhere else, but Baird couldn't see her eyes. They were covered by a Cougars hat (a present from Cole). He scowled at the hat. Somebody screamed. In one fell swoop, Liz thrust her longshot in Baird's hands and snatched his shotgun. She bolted towards the screaming.

"Stop being a fucking hero! It's going to get you killed some day!" he called after her.

Baird scowled and folded his arms. Liz skidded to a halt in an alley. A grub had cornered a little kid. She sniffed and sprinted at it. Some Stranded, and Baird, made it to the alley just in time. The drone had the kid up by their neck. Liz tackled it (Baird found himself thinking of Cole) to the ground. It dropped the kid and swung it's rifle at her head. Easily, it shoved her off and kicked her before returning it's attention to the kid (who instead of running, sat there crying).

She coughed up blood. Liz swung the shotgun at its legs. It turned, angry, and made as if to crush her skull.

"Fuck! Liz!"

Blood trickled down her face as she smiled. Shotgun in the air. **Bang. **Gore sprayed over her and the kid. What remained of the drone rained down on her. Liz sat up in time to see people flocking her. Baird crouched beside her. Did he look concerned? She couldn't tell – she had blood in her eyes. She fell back, somebody caught her, allowing herself to seep into darkness.

Liz came to in a rather large room. It was pretty empty, for the most part. She was on a cot. A dish of (bloody) water and various medical tools lay, discarded, on a table nearby. There were a few more cots around the room. They were empty. The windows were boarded up, and there was only one door.

"Are we locked in?" she wondered aloud.

"Oh, so you're just assuming you and I are a 'we,' now? When 'we' weren't a 'we' when _you_ went off with _my_ gun," Baird snapped. "If it weren't for _you_, _I_ wouldn't be here."

"You'd probably be dead, but whatever. That's not _my_ problem, now is it?" she retorted, "Why are we locked in?"

"Let's see... They patched you up, point some guns at me, told me to stay here, and left. Didn't really say why. They'll probably eat us."

"They're not cannibals."

"Stranded, cannibals. Same thing," Baird shrugged.

"Can we break the door down? What about the windows?" she asked.

"Guarded and too high up."

"Fuck..." Liz groaned.

The door opened. Three men and a woman came in. The lady went to Liz. She checked Liz's head wound before scurrying out again. Two men pointed their guns at Baird. They motioned him to stand near the wall. The third man wore sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat. His face was covered by a bandana.

"Hey, assholes, you gonna let us go?" Baird demanded.

"Yeah. Let's just antagonize the guys with the guns," Liz rolled her eyes.

The man in the hat motioned for the others to leave. Reluctantly, the guys with guns did. Baird moved beside Liz.

"I'm Bennett. I'm sorry if my men threaten you. We only wanted to help the young lady. I mean, she did save one of our own," Bennett explained.

"Yeah, well, she gets off in life expectancy shortening situations," Baird snorted.

"Are you letting us go?" Liz asked.

"Asshole," Baird added.

"Are you COG? We kind of have a rule or two against letting the COG around," Bennett inquired.

"Do we look like COG?" Liz raised an eyebrow.

"Haha, I guess not. You folks are stationed just a bit out of our town. You're more than welcome to join us."

"Sorry. We have plans in Jacinto," Baird shrugged.

"You know... COG don't take too kindly to Stranded," Bennett stated.

"Stranded don't take too kindly to Gears either."

"It's hard to respect a government that sacrifices their own people."

* * *

><p>It's sorta short? It's like three pages long in my word processor. Life has caught up to me and excuses, excuses. So I am pounding away at this as often as I can. Stay tuned and such. Hopefully I'll have another update soon!<p> 


	12. Awkward

Baird forced himself to hold his tongue. There were so many vile words he wanted to spew, but this was a life or death situation for him. He helped Liz up; Bennett smiled at the two before escorting them out of their makeshift hospital/holding cell. He led them through the compound. The buildings intact were connected with the remains of other buildings. Baird admired the construction. Bennett led them to one of the larger buildings. Their town hall, it would appear. He was some sort of leader-mayor type. His office was two rooms, technically. A sheet was separating them. Bennett lived in the other half. He motioned for them to take a seat while he disappeared into his bedroom.

"There's no door to this half," he idly chatted away, "I made myself an escape route into a panic room. Not a whole lot of space, but it has enough supplies for the women and children. You know, in the event of COG or Locust invasion."

"That's great," Baird rolled his eyes.

Liz eased herself into a chair. Her sporadic lifestyle was beginning to take its toll on her body. Her head throbbed, her leg ached, and her shoulder screamed in agony. She felt her body heating up; her chest was pounding. Baird idly glanced her way. He prepared himself for some smart remark from her. Either about him looking at her, or their situation, or the current location. Anything, really. She didn't say anything. Liz didn't even notice. She was pale and exhausted.

"It's getting pretty dark out," Bennett continued.

Baird stood behind Liz. "She's probably sick. All those bullets going through her," he thought, "That's why she's pale. Sick is all. Not dying. No rustlung because there's no coughing. She's just sick. Put your hand on her shoulder. Make sure this guy knows she's with you. And Liz'll know you're here. Is she really with you? Shit. What if she's not sick, and is just really pale all of a sudden? And if you put your hand there she might fucking break it. Or rip us apart with her words. God she's so fucking hot. For a girl, that is. I mean... That came out wrong. Shit, shit, shit."

Baird compromised and rested a hand on Liz's shoulder as Bennett returned to the room. He smiled at them, mumbling something about young love even in desperate times. To which Baird expected a crack about it being very desperate times if she was really with him, but there was only silence. He squeezed her shoulder.

"As I was saying, it gets pretty shaky after dark. Haven't seen Kryll in a while, but we still get some patrols running through. Lately, it's been other Stranded camps. Ones that aren't too keen on civilization," Bennett said.

"So what's your point?" Baird asked.

"It seems to me that your little lady isn't up for a lot of moving. You two have an awful lot of ground to cover to get back to Jacinto. It'll be harder at night with really only one of you mobile."

"So you want us to stay here. That's what you're getting at."

"Here or your little hiding place. We'd have to move you quick. One of the Stranded gangs holes up around here at night too. They," Bennett coughed, "They really enjoy the company of women, but... Lack the charm to get them properly..."

"Pretty subtle way of saying they're a bunch of rapists," Baird snorted.

He wondered about their guns and their stash back in that apartment. What if the Stranded gangs found it? Would they be hunted and/or executed? He kept his thoughts to himself for a change.

"No one in my town knows about that panic room. If folks come through looking for two strangers, word travels fast you see, nobody's gonna know where you went."

Stranded talk to each other, Baird surmised. He made a mental note of that as he reconsidered their offer. As it stood, he could take Bennett up on his and hide, or go back to that apartment and hope for the best. He considered Liz's opinion. She looked like she was dying. She probably wouldn't want to hide.

"Some of those gangs, besides being rapists, have a tendency to shoot COG, Bennett added.

"What?" Baird's thoughts derailed.

"Son, I did my service through the Pendulum Wars and even a ways after E-Day. It ain't hard to notice a Gear when I see one. You may as well smell like one."

"We'll... Um... Stay here, if that offer still stands," Baird decided, "Can we have our guns back?"

Bennett nodded. Baird nudged Liz, but she didn't move. He, carefully, lifted her and followed Bennett to his "panic" room. Their guns were waiting for them.

"Made the windows myself. Medical supplies over there. Food there. Bedding... Your guns there... Hey," Bennett seemed lost in time once his eyes rested on their guns.

"Liz's rifle," Baird said aloud, but more to himself.

"That's... Interesting. Haven't seen one of those in a long while. Holler if you need anything," Bennett muttered.

Liz woke up again a few hours later. Baird had a screwdriver to her beloved rifle. Her body still ached, but her stomach hurt the worst. She wasn't sure if she had eaten or not. Food wasn't really important. Baird, the screwdriver, and her baby.

"Baird, why are you mauling my baby?" she demanded, sitting up slowly.

"Bennett, as it turns out, used to be a sniper for us. Back in the day. He was telling me that some of the older rifle models had been modified by some soldiers," Baird explained, tapping cautiously at the rifle butt.

"Modified."

"They usually hollowed out the butts to make them lighter. Especially the Indie ones. Those were more accurate, but the kick and the weight were obnoxious."

"So they desecrated the poor things?" she scoffed.

"Helped with the weight. Some of them were made airtight, so you could put pictures and shit in there. That's what Bennett said, at least," Baird shrugged.

Liz glared at him. Baird pretended not to notice and kept working away at the rifle. Liz coughed a few times. He looked up, flashed her a grin, and went back to work. She scowled. Liz's eyes darted around her to find something. Rock, pillow, knife, pistol. Anything really. She preferred a pistol. To shoot him. Right in his hands. Filthy hands that rubbed against her rifle.

"So... Uh," Baird coughed, "What'd you do before those Gears brought you in? People were saying you had contraband... Stuff. Guns and shit."

"Terrorist bullshit again?" Liz sighed.

He laughed, "Yeah, but there's gotta be some truth to it. Hoffman wouldn't have stuck you in CIC for all those months if you didn't know your way around the machines."

"I did the same shit in CIC. I stole any working computers and equipment I could find to set up my place. Got in to CIC and just monitored for the longest time. Had Stranded breaking in my doors until I made a deal with them," Liz said.

Baird snorted in disapproval.

She shifted slightly. Her body still ached, but now her chest was pounding. It was getting harder to breathe. Baird seemed to have found a gap to wedge the screwdriver in. Liz kept telling herself that was why she couldn't breathe. Her poor rifle was getting raped.

"Every now and then I'd track down abandoned COG shit and tell them where it was. Ammo, food, water, salvageable equipment. And in return," she hesitated slightly.

Baird looked over at her. She was shaking and staring in her lap. Obviously, something wasn't right. He set the rifle and screwdriver down. It was a great internal debate whether or not he should move closer to her. There wasn't really time to mull over the consequences. He sat on the floor beside her.

"In return," Liz continued, "They'd leave me the fuck alone. Some camps offered protection if I moved to exclusively help them. That... Caused more problems. I'd deny their protection, and they'd fucking shoot at me and shit. Other gangs would shoo them away. Tried to. Uh. Force me to... It was a mess. Eventually, their fighting got so damn big the COG finally fucking noticed. That's when they caught me. My equipment interfered with the Tac-coms. Only took... Five days to fucking find the right building... CIC couldn't see where the interference was coming from."

"You bounced it between multiple points," Baird finished.

He had... Broken into some encrypted files to see what all the hullabaloo was about. That and Hoffman wanted some things changed to Prescott's report. Baird found he was quite impressed by her feats. For a girl, she was pretty... Pretty alright.

Liz was still shaking. Was she cold? Baird couldn't tell. The blanket pooled around her legs. He couldn't see goosebumps on her arms. Cautiously, he touched her arm. Liz barely shifted away.

"Do you uh... Wanna talk about it?" he coughed.

"I'm just cold," Liz snapped, "We should get moving."

"We're safer here. For the moment. We're surrounded by Stranded and probably grubs."

"They won't fire at us. The Stranded, that is."

"Bennett said other camps stay in the area come night fall. Ones that aren't so fucking civil. So if you want to take your chances with the fucking monsters out there, be my guest. Don't get raped. Marcus will never let me hear the end of it."

Baird struck a nerve, and he knew it. The worst part was that he felt bad for it. Liz wasn't visibly shaking anymore, but she looked away. He tugged on the blanket and covered her. He really didn't know what to do. Machines were easy to fix. Grubs needed to be killed. People, on the other hand, were complicated. Females were endlessly complicated.

It rumbled outside. The room light up with a bright flash and bang. Rain could be heard outside. They sat in awkward silence. As the rain continued, the room got colder. Liz was staring at her rifle. Baird noticed with each flash of lightning her gaze never left.

"We're leaving once the sun comes up," Liz said.

He stood, "Fine."

"We'll take turns keeping an ear out for grubs or nosy Stranded," she continued.

"No," Baird shook his head, "You're not leaving that fucking spot. If I get my ass chewed out again because your fucking recklessness, I'm going to shoot you myself."

"You can't stay up all night and walk back to Jacinto!" Liz snorted.

"Watch me."

"I... Stay here. With me. I'm pretty sure it's safe enough," she argued.

"Stay... Like sleep in the same... Bed thing?" Baird coughed.

"Right. It's cold out. We should um..."

"Because it's cold. Right."

Endlessly complicated. Baird shifted uncomfortably.


	13. A Ruined Moment

Endlessly complicated. Baird shifted uncomfortably. She rolled her eyes and patted the floor next to her. Baird chuckled, but it felt forced. He complied. Complaining all the while.

A roar of thunder jolted them both from their slumber. The room lit up in a flash and died down in an instant. Baird sat up; Liz rolled to her side and stared up at him.

"I could get used to this," he found himself thinking. Baird shook the thought from his head.

"Wonder if Marcus and Dom are out there," Liz commented.

"Cole too," Baird added.

"Maybe Anya made them come back for the night."

"You really think Fenix would stop looking for you?" Baird snorted.

"Of course," Liz lay on her back, "We're just a painful reminder to the other of what could have been."

"It's been years."

"A lot of shit has happened."

Desperate for a change of subject, Baird asked, "Where'd you learn to shoot?"

Liz stretched and yawned. "Had a snub for the longest time. I'd go shooting on the weekends. Paper targets, clay birds. That sort of thing. Vic gave it to me for my birthday one year. Carlos never really thought I'd ever use it."

"Huh," Baird muttered.

"Marcus taught me how to shoot. Carlos didn't want to."

"Why?"

"Who knows," Liz turned away from him.

Baird sighed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"You?" she asked softly.

"Me?"

"Smart cookie like you? I don't think COG was your first choice."

He lay back down, "Wasn't supposed to be a choice. Enlist or no inheritance. I needed the money to go to engineering school."

"What'd your parents do?"

Liz faced Baird again. She shifted and rested her chin on his chest. Her gaze set itself on his face. He tucked an arm under her.

"Stabilization," he told himself.

Aloud he said, "Old man was a magistrate."

"Mother?"

"Appalled I'd disgrace the good Baird name by working with machines."

"They must be so proud," Liz said flatly.

"Probably not," he snorted, "Dead or not, I'm still disgracing their name."

"E-Day?"

"Yeah."

They remained silent. Another flash of light flooded the room. Liz rested her head on his arm.

"Baird," she said.

"Hmm?"

"Tell me I'm pretty."

"What?" he snorted.

She inched closer, "Were you unwed, would you take me in a manly fashion?"

"Because you're pretty?"

"Because I'm pretty."

"Liz," Baird began, "I'm not married, and you're not pretty."

She giggled. Baird's eyes widened in disbelief, but she did not notice. As she spoke, he found it difficult to wrap his mind around the fact that Liz managed something girly.

"You're all charm, Baird," she assured him.

"That's me," he closed his eyes, "All charm."

"You think too much."

Liz shifted again. She faced away from Baird and tugged on his arm. He grunted and, unhappily, moved with her.

"Your hair is in my mouth," he grumbled.

Liz shook her head. More hair in his face and mouth. Baird sputtered and coughed; she laughed. He ran a hand, lightly, up her spine. Chills followed his finger tips. Baird's hand slipped through her fingers, he gripped, and yanked.

"OW!" Liz shoved herself away.

"Don't put your hair in my mouth!"

"What are you? A fucking child!?"

"You were having a moment with a girl," his brain taunted.

"Shut up and come back here," he rolled his eyes.

"Fuck. Ow. No," Liz pouted, "You can sleep in the cold."

She kicked him out of the blankets. Baird scoffed and folded his arms.

"You ruined the moment," Liz (and Baird to himself) said.

* * *

><p>Another semester down! Four more to go! Happy summer :D<p> 


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